


Government Property

by tillyenna



Series: Darling - I'd bare my neck to You [3]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - D/s, Dom/sub, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2013-06-26
Packaged: 2017-12-16 07:02:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tillyenna/pseuds/tillyenna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The startling events of the last installment have serious consequences, not just for Clint, but for the rest of the world too!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Government Property

Of course there was fall out – the events that occurred in the underground layer had been broadcast on live television across the entire nation and a large part of the modern world. 

Mostly, what was remarked upon were the level of self control the Avengers possessed; it had done wonders for reinforcing Steve's reputation as the superhero all the comics portrayed him to be. Tony pretended to act dismayed that his reputation was sullied by his good behaviour, but they all knew secretly he was delighted.

The only one of them who got any negative press from it was Clint. On camera it was more obvious the way his legs were shaking, the way his eyes were darting nervously from side to side, and the images of him crawling across the floor to get to Coulson were splashed across every front page.

It started as a suggestion by a prominent politician that, whilst submissives obviously should have rights, for their own safety there should be rules against un-collared submissives having high-stress jobs. But, as a suggestion by a prominent politician, it rapidly became an official proposal, and, however much submissive rights groups protested it, it headed towards becoming legislation with apparently nothing standing in its way. As ‘high stress jobs’ had been defined to specifically include any form of front line combat, it was obvious something needed to be done about Clint.

Fury called a meeting of all the Avengers and Clint sat staring defiantly at anyone who would dare meet his gaze, never one to bow his head as a traditional submissive ought, he took delight in holding his own at these meetings as much as anyone.

“I won’t let Hawkeye stop being a part of this team,” Steve spoke, the authority in his voice matching Fury’s own.

“Regardless,” Fury sighed, he did not stand to demonstrate his authority over the others, he didn’t need to, “Barton will not be legally allowed to continue in a front line role as he is now.”

“One of us could collar him,” Steve offered, glancing nervously over towards Clint.

“Fuck off,” Clint snarled, before Coulson’s pencil tapping nervously against the table could snap with his tension. “If I am ever collared, it will be someone of my choosing. I have that right.”

“Of course,” Steve sat down, holding his hands up in an odd gesture of submission. “I just want you to know that, as a team, we are willing to do anything you’d let us for you to stay a part of this team.”

Fury, on the other hand, had turned to Phil, one eyebrow raised.

Phil stared back at him, they’d known each other long enough to be able to communicate without words, and his look of ‘I will sort this’ was clear to Fury.

“Thank you for voicing your opinion, Captain Rogers.” The director stood, more an indication that he wanted them all to leave than anything else. “I will leave Specialist Barton to be dealt with by his handler – I’m sure they can come up with a solution between them.”

As the Avengers trailed out of the room, Clint found himself falling into step just at Coulson’s heel. It was a bad habit he’d fallen into but neither of them seemed to mind and nobody else had mentioned anything about it.

As soon as they stepped inside his office, Coulson locked the door and flicked the blinds down as usual. “On the couch, Barton,” he ordered.

Clint let himself fold into the corner of the sofa, hugging his knees up to his chest, eternally grateful when Phil came and sat beside him, a gentle hand threaded through his hair.

“I know you don’t want to wear a collar, Clint,” he whispered softly. “But it is that, or stop being Hawkeye, and I want to know you are aware of that before you make the choice not to.”

“Hawkeye is who I am,” Clint said softly, clutching his knees even tighter as if they could protect him from the world. “I can’t give that up.”

“Would you be willing to wear my collar?” Phil asked, his voice so steady and level and calm that Clint glanced at him in surprise. “I know you’ve never wanted to wear one before, which is why I’ve never offered, but the offer is there now, if you would like to accept it.”

“I don’t really have a choice,” Clint looked up at him with sad eyes. “Because not being an Avenger isn’t an option to me.”

“I wish I could offer you my collar under different circumstance,” Phil gazed back at him, Clint’s own sadness echoed in his eyes. “But if it is what you need to continue being an Avenger then I offer it up gladly.”

For the first few days after wearing it, Clint simply skulked around the house. It wasn’t because he was ashamed of belonging to Phil, but more that he was ashamed of conforming so easily, just to keep doing what he wanted to. However, within a week the call went out for them to Assemble again and he headed into battle as it was his duty to do.

When the miscreants had been dealt with and the city largely saved (apart from a few buildings that had been ‘hulked’) he felt the rest of his team staring at him in open curiosity.

“Mind if I have a look?” Tony asked, as always the most forward member of the team.

Clint shrugged, it wasn’t like it was possible to hide it under his uniform so he might as well let them see it. He kept his chin up, allowing Tony to inspect the collar closely; a thin leather strap, it was incredibly discreet.

Tony politely didn’t touch it, but waved his hand at the tag, which was face down. “What does it say?”

Clint turned it over so Tony could read the words ‘Government Property’ around the discreet SHIELD logo, causing the billionaire to snort with laughter.

“What?” Clint grinned. “I get to stay on the team. It’s a win-win situation.”

“SHIELD collared you?” Tony laughed in astonishment.

Natasha just shot him a knowing look and, with the initial awkwardness over, they headed back for their debrief.

Of course, as usual, the press latched onto it as soon as they got pictures and Fury made them hold a press conference, which was infinitely more awkward than the rest of his team finding out.

“Are we allowed to address questions directly to Clint?” The first journalist asked, hand shooting straight up in the air.

Steve glanced nervously around, the question was clearly a veiled attempt to find out which one of them had collared him.

“Sure,” Clint grinned easily, speaking for himself. “Or is answering questions going to be something else you’re banning subs from doing?”

A cheer rose up from the corner of the room occupied by the submissive rights publications.

“Who’s your Dom, Clint?” she asked next.

Clint shook his head disparagingly. “You only said I had to be collared, not that I had to have a Dom.” He grinned, the paperwork behind his collaring had been so well buried that, although it officially existed, it would be damn near impossible to trace.

“So you won’t tell us then?” another journalist called.

“It’s classified,” Clint grinned. 

There were further questions, including how he felt about being required to be collared just to continue doing his job; Clint surprised everyone by admitting he thought it was actually not a completely bad idea and he accepted most submissives wouldn't be as capable of front line combat as he was. Mostly however the journalists focused on trying to wheedle out of him what kind of a Dom could collar a man like him, which just made Clint grin, as he thought of Coulson, sat off to one side, organising the situation as usual.

As they headed back to the tower, Clint let himself fall into step beside Coulson. “Did I behave?” he asked, amused.

“Surprisingly, yes,” Coulson shot a sideways look at him. “Are you doing OK?”   
Clint shrugged. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly, his fingertips reaching up to brush the leather of his collar. “I’m beginning to think I could get used to this.”


End file.
